Blessing
by Snow White in Wonderland
Summary: In order to become possessed, Luke needed to bathe in the River Styx. In order to bathe in the River Styx, Luke needed his mother's blessing. One-shot.


Yes, I am back, and with a new story. This is my first one-shot, so be nice.

This is called Blessing. The other day I realized that people's wrote about what happened when Luke was possessed, what happened when he visited Annabeth-but never what happened when he asked his mother for her blessing to bathe in the River Styx. I think that was an important unwritten moment. So this is what I think happened.

Summery: The time had come for Luke to prepare to bathe in the River Styx. But first he needed his mother's blessing, which is hard to get when your mother's insane. Learn about one of the few moments Luke had doubts about joining Kronos.

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except my own original idea.**

Luke hesitated in front of the door of his old childhood home. It was the same as he remembered it-painted bright turquoise. The name CASTELLAN was written in English, and below in Greek.

Memories overwashed him for a moment.

_"My son...not his fate, no...not his fate!"_

_"You should not have come back."_

_"I have your lunch ready."_

Luke shook it all off. He could not afford to think about this now. He had a job to do, and the sooner he got it done, the happier he would be.

_Castellan. _The ancient, evil voice of Kronos came upon him. Luke shivered-it sounded out of place in his mother's cheerful home. _It is not too late for you to chicken out and go back to your petty little camp._

_No._ Luke straightened. _I will do this. I will _not _return to Camp Half-Blood except to see it destroyed._

Kronos laughed. _Good. You have done well, Castellan. Proceed._

Luke took a deep breath and rang the doorbell.

The door swung open almost immediantly. "Luke!" his mother cried, throwing her arms around him happily.

Luke returned the hug, a little hesitantly, his heart feeling like led at the thought of what he would have to do. Despite the purpose of him being here, he had seriously missed his mother.

She looked like she'd gotten worst since he'd last seen her, back when he was fourteen. Her hair had turned completely white and stuck out in tufts all over her head. Her face seemed unnaturally stretched when she smiled. There was that strange high-voltage light in her eyes that Luke knew came from the curse bestowed upon her.

"Hi, Mom," Luke said quietly, pulling away from her iron-like grip.

"Come in, come in!" she said cheerfully.

She ushered Luke into the kitchen, and his heart almost sank. Piles of cookie trays littered the sink, each holding a dozen burned cookies. On the table were millions of moldering peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. On the counter, pitches of Kool-Aid.

More bad memories, as he looked into the living room. he and Hermes had once had a fight there...

_"My son, I'm the god of travelers, the god of roads. If I know anything, I know that you must walk your own path, even though it tears my heart."_

_"You don't love me."_

_"I promise I...I do love you. Go to camp. I will se that you get a quest soon. Perhaps you can defeat the Hydra, or steal the apples of Hesperides. You will get a chance to be a great hero before..."_

_"Before what? What did my mom see that made her like this? What's going to happen to me? If you love me, _tell _me."_

_"I cannot."_

_"Then you don't care!"_

Luke bit his lip at the terrible memory and sat down, rather awkwardly at the kitchen table. "Mom, listen, I..." He trailed off as she began to make yet another peanut butter sandwich. "No, Mom, you don't have to..."

"Nonsense!" the old lady cried. "Of course I do. I know how you love peanut butter and jelly, Luke." She patted his cheek affectionately.

Luke crossed his fingers under the table that she wouldn't have one of her fits while he was there. He really didn't want to see that again.

May fixed him a peanut butter sandwich and a glass of Kool-Aid. Then she opened the oven and pulled out a fresh tray of burned cookies. She dumped them onto the table. "Eat up, Luke!"

Luke didn't know what to say.

_Get on with it, Castellan, _came Kronos's cold voice. _Just ask her for her blessing! You know she'll give it to you!_

Luke nodded, more to himself than to Kronos. "Mom, I-"

"They told me you'd never come back, you know, but I knew better," his mother said cheerfully as she fixed the smoldered cookies onto a plate. "You know, Luke, I told you the monsters weren't a bother. You should not have worried so much." She picked up a stuffed Medusa absentmindedly. "They're really nice. We're all good friends here, Luke."

Luke tried yet again. "Mom, I have something to ask you."

"Yes, dear?"

"Could you...um..." How was he supposed to say this? Even in her state, she wouldn't be able to handle it. _Hey, Mom, can I have you blessing to go bathe in a river that might kill me so I can get possessed by a Titan and destroy all the gods, including the man you love?_

That brought him up short. _The man she loves..._He hadn't thought of that.

Despite the fact she was basically crazy, Luke loved his mother. Kronos had promised that, along with the destruction of the gods, he would heal his mother. So how would she react, once she was healed, to learn that Luke had just destroyed the only man she'd ever loved?

_Are you beginning to have doubts, Castellan?_ Kronos's voice had a taunting age to it.

Luke didn't answer. He'd already had doubts. He'd even gone to Annabeth's to ask her for help, to run away again like the old days, but she hadn't trusted him. She'd slammed the door in his face.

Hurting Thalia and Annabeth had been bad enough. But hurting his mother...

_Get on with it! _Kronos screamed at him in his head, making Luke have a slight migraine.

"Luke, dear?" his mother prompted.

Luke took a deep breath. It was now or never. He just wouldn't tell her the basics. "Mom, listen. I'm going to a...a river, and I need your blessing. Would you give me your blessing?"

She didn't skip a beat as she said, "Why, of course, dear!"

Nothing happened. Luke nodded grimly. It was time for the second stage in Kronos's plan to begin-the going to the river part.

He stood up. "Thank you, Mom. I should get go-"

Suddenly she gasped, and doubled over. The cookies fell out of her hand. Luke winced at the sight. _Not this again,_ he thought.

She straightened up, and her eyes were a glowing green. _"No," _she rasped in a much deeper voice. _"Not my son! Not his fate! No!"_

She grabbed Luke by the shoulders and shook him urgently, as if trying to make him understand something important. _"Hermes, help! Luke...No Destiny...grows...nearer!"_

Then she collasped, and Luke caught her gently. He eased her into a chair.

Her eyes opened, and they were normal again. "Oh, dear, I dropped the cookies" she said. Her voice was back to normal as well. "Luke, honey, where are you going?"

Luke was walking steadily towards the front door. He could hear her following. "I have to go, Mom," he said. "I have to go to that river I was telling you about."

"But, my dear boy! You can't go! Hermes will be by soon. He'll want to see you!"

Luke flinched at his father's name. _Yeah, well, I don't want to see him, _he thought bitterly.

More bad memories surfaced, no matter how hard he fought to keep them down. He couldn't help remembering what else had happened the one and only time he had met his father...

_"I'm fine. I have a new family. I don't need either of you."_

_"I'm your father."_

_"A _father _is supposed to be around. I've never even _met _you."_

Luke shook off the memories once again. He had to get out of that place. It held nothing bad but memories for him.

He threw open the front door, despite May's protests. "Luke, don't go!" she pleaded.

"I have to, Mom," he told her gently. Then he took both him and her by surprise and threw his arms around her. "Be safe, Mom," he murmurred gently. "I love you."

She hugged him back. "I love you, too, Luke," she said, and for a second she sounded almost human. "Just promise me you'll be careful, Luke. That you won't do anything reckless or dangerous?"

He couldn't really promise that, seeing as the whole purpose of this visit was to prepare himself to be possessed by the Titan lord Kronos. But he said, "I will. I promise."

Then he gently closed the door in her face. For a moment he considered going back in and forgetting the whole thing. But then he remembered what the gods had done, and what Kronos would do. He couldn't forget the plan. He couldn't turn back now that he had her blessing.

"I'm sorry, Mom," he whispered. Then he turned and ran.


End file.
